Wrist watch with dial illuminating device

ABSTRACT

A wrist watch has an electric bulb for illuminating the dial and a battery lodged in a housing independent of the watch movement housing and having an elastically mounted cover. Electrical circuit means for connecting the battery to the bulb include a switch operable to illuminate the dial by a pressure exerted on the cover by the wrist upon which the watch is worn.

United States Patent Brien 51 Aug. 1,1972

154] WRIST WATCH WITH DIAL ILLUMINATING DEVICE Andre N. Brien, 3110 rueGermain, Fabreville, Quebec, Canada- Filed: April 23, 1970 Appl. No.:31,251

Inventor:

Foreign Application Priority Data April 30, 1969 Switzerland ..6567/69US. Cl. ..240/2.l, 58/50, 240/643 Int. Cl. ..G0ld 11/28 Field of Search..240/2, 2.1, 1 El, 6.43; 58/50,

58/19 A, 86, 88 UC, 23

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,018,614 1/1962 Brien ..58/503,116,883 1/1964 Neugebauer ..240/6.43

3,224,184 12/1965 Brien ..58/50 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 609,87512/1960 Canada ..58/50 Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi Attorney-Graft &Groff [57] ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Isa 4 FIGI FIGZ III,

26 INVENTOR ANDRE N. BRIEN ATTORNEYS WRIST WATCH WITH DIAL ILLUMINATINGDEVICE This invention relates to wrist-watches provided with dialilluminating means. 7

According to the invention there is provided a wrist watch comprisingelectrical lighting means for illuminating the dial, electrical powerstorage means lodged in a housing independent of the watch movementhousing, and a contactor capable of circuit connecting the storage meansto said lightingmeans by a pressure exerted by a wrist upon which thewatch may be worn to thereby illuminate said dial.

Such a wrist watch thus has great ease of control of the illuminationthereof without the necessity of using the hand opposite to thatcarrying the watch to operate the contactor. Additionally, because ofthe possibility of elimination of switch means provided with a slidingor pivoting lever the wrist watch and its illuminating device can bemade completely watertight.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section view of a wrist watch according to thepresent invention as it would appear when the wearers wrist is flexed.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 1 andillustrates the mechanism as it would appear when the wearers wrist isnot flexed.

Referring to the drawing the wrist watch shown comprises a watch casegenerally designated by reference numeral 1, this case comprising acentral portion 2, and a bezel 3 carrying a glass 4. The movement 5 ofthis watch is located inside the central portion 2, and its dial 6 iswedged between movement 5 and the internal edge 7 of bezel 3.

The watch is provided with an illuminating device comprising a miniatureelectric bulb 8 disposed in a housing 9 provided in the thickened edgeof the watch glass 4. A cover 10 forming an opaque screen covers andprotects the bulb 8. The cover 10 can be fixed by sticking or welding toto glass 4. In the thickened edge of glass 4 are provided two passages11 and 12 respectively for conducting wires 13 and 14 of bulb 8. Wire 14is pinched between the edge of glass 4 and bezel 3, as at 14a whichconnects it to the mass of the metallic components, namely, the case 1,its central portion 2 and the bezel 3 as previously described. Wire 13is engaged in a nick 15 on the internal edge 7 of bezel 3 to come intocontact with the extremity 16 of an insulated wire 16a fixed in a bore17 of central portion 2, for example by sticking with an elastomermaterial 170.

The watch case 1 has an arc-shaped extension 18 forming one of theattachments for a watch bracelet. This extension 18 is of generallyU-shaped cross-section, with the open end of the U facing towards theleft of the figure and thus towards the wearers wrist. Against theinternal face of extension 18 are provided two contactors l9 and 20. Thecontactor 19 is electrically insulated with respect to extension 18 andeasing 1, and is connected to wires 13, and 16a. The contactor 20 isconnected to the extension 18.

At the interior of extension 18 is fitted a cover member 21 made ofsupple electrically insulating material, preferably of plasticsmaterial. Cover 21 has two recesses 22 and 23 housing batteries 24 and25 respectively and which are connected in series by a conducting wire26. The cover is connected to extension 18 by a pin 27.

It is evident, taking into account the flexibility of cover 21, that asimple pressure exerted by the users wrist enables batteries 24 and 25to be brought into contact with contactors 19 and 20, as illustrated inFIG. 1, which closes the electrical circuit and causes illumination ofthe dial 6 by bulb 8. When the pressure is released, cover2'1elastically returns to the rest position as shown in FIG. 2, breakingthe electrical circuit between either or both contactors 19, 20 andtheir respective batteries and thereby switching off bulb 8.

A supple fluidtight packing member, not shown, can be inserted betweenthe internal wall of extension 18 and cover 21 to ensure perfectfiuidtightness of the electrical power supply device.

As a variant, a spiral or blade spring can be inserted between thebottom of the extension 18 and the cover 21 to ensure separation thereofwhen illumination is no longer desired.

The embodiment illustrated in the drawing shows bulb 8 located in theexternal part of watch glass 4; however, the housing for bulb 8 couldnaturally be provided in the internal face of glass 4.

In the illustrated embodiment, the extension 18 constitutes a rigidpiece with case 1. It is possible as a variant to provide such anextension articulated to casing 1. In this case, the extension wouldconstitute a part of the bracelet.

In yet another embodiment, and particularly in the case of a watch caseof elongated shape, forexample rectangular, the housing for storing thebattery (or batteries) 24, 25 could be provided in the body of the watchcase itself. This watch case body would thus comprise one housing forthe watch movement and an independent housing for the battery. Ofcourse, the bottom of this housing would be used to actuate theillumination control contactor by elastic deformation.

The following are two examples of an application of this invention. In adivers wrist watch, illumination of the dial could be automaticallyensured upon diving below a certain depth, while under normal airpressure the pressure exerted by the wrist on cover 21 could beinsufficient to close the circuit and cause illumination.

For an automobile rally drivers watch, in which various dials often haveto be illuminated to enable accurate reading during night driving,illumination could be controlled in two ways. If the wrist carrying thewatch does not normally exert a sufficient pressure on cover 21 to causeillumination, the extension 18 can be applied against a part of theautomobile so that the wrist presses cover 21 to cause temporaryillumination of the dial. Alternatively, if the user wishes to keep thedial constantly illuminated, he can simply positionally adjust the watchon his wrist until the pressure exerted by his wrist on cover 21 issufiicient to permanently close the circuit. In both cases, the dial canbe clearly read while allowing freedom of the users other hand for otheroperations.

Iclaim:

1. In a wrist watch having an outer face, a dial on said outer face andelectrical lighting means for illuminating the dial and having a firsthousing for a watch movement, the improvement comprising a secondhousing connected to said first housing, electrical power storage meansin said second housing, and electrical circuit means in said housing andincluding a movable pressure-operable contactor on an inner face of saidhousing for connecting said power storage means to said lighting means,said contactor being operable to cause illumination of said dial by apressure exerted by a wrist upon which the watch may be worn.

2. A wrist watch as set out in claim 1, inwhich said second housing isdefined between a member open on a side thereof facing a wrist uponwhich said watch may be worn and a cover elastically mounted in saidopening of said member, said cover being movable to operate saidcontactor to cause illumination of said dial by a pressure exerted bysaid wrist against an opposed ment whereby said cover is of supplematerial elastically deformable to operate saidcontactor to causeillumination of said dial.

4. ln a wrist watch as set out in claim 2, the improvement whereby saidcover is in electrically insulating material and has at least one recesstherein for housing said electrical power storage means.

5. In a wrist watch as set out in claim 2, and wherein said dial, saidelectrical lighting means for illuminating said dial, and said firsthousing are all located in or on a watch case, the improvement wherebysaid second housing is formed in an arcuate channel-like extension tosaid watch case, said extension forming attachment means for a bracelet,and said cover being fixed to said extension by a pin.

1. In a wrist watch having an outer face, a dial on said outer face andelectrical lighting means for illuminating the dial and having a firsthousing for a watch movement, the improvement comprising a secondhousing connected to said first housing, electrical power storage meansin said second housing, and electrical circuit means in said housing andincluding a movable pressure-operable contactor on an inner face of saidhousing for connecting said power storage means to said lighting means,said contactor being operable to cause illumination of said dial by apressure exerted by a wrist upon which the watch may be worn.
 2. A wristwatch as set out in claim 1, in which said second housing is definedbetween a member open on a side thEreof facing a wrist upon which saidwatch may be worn and a cover elastically mounted in said opening ofsaid member, said cover being movable to operate said contactor to causeillumination of said dial by a pressure exerted by said wrist against anopposed elastic force tending to urge said cover to operate saidcontactor to prevent illumination of said dial.
 3. In a wrist watch asset out in claim 2, the improvement whereby said cover is of supplematerial elastically deformable to operate said contactor to causeillumination of said dial.
 4. In a wrist watch as set out in claim 2,the improvement whereby said cover is in electrically insulatingmaterial and has at least one recess therein for housing said electricalpower storage means.
 5. In a wrist watch as set out in claim 2, andwherein said dial, said electrical lighting means for illuminating saiddial, and said first housing are all located in or on a watch case, theimprovement whereby said second housing is formed in an arcuatechannel-like extension to said watch case, said extension formingattachment means for a bracelet, and said cover being fixed to saidextension by a pin.